Modern technologies have made us understand the biological world far better, offering hope for human health, giving us a firm grasp of the mechanisms underlying diseases, enabling their early diagnosis, risk assessment, and opening up new treatment strategies. They even allow us to do the unthinkable—redesigning genes to fight infection, develop wonder drugs, improve the environment and provide cheaper energy. Is synthetic biology the cure to all our ills or are we playing God with it? Do we reject this novel technology or harness it for the benefit of humanity? Earlier speaking in the HKUST’s Science-for-Lunch Talk, Prof King Chow has shared with the audience his insights on the topic.